


Stories of the Second Self: Night Liner

by John_Steiner



Series: Alter Idem [61]
Category: Urban Fantasy - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:15:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22548379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/John_Steiner/pseuds/John_Steiner
Summary: As a vampire, Jolene actually missed what being tired felt like after work, though car troubles forced her to take Cincinnati's restored bus routes. There, she sees a young despondent woman all in black, heavy leather boots, and with a large raven perched on her knee. No one else was willing to sit near the goth woman, so Jolene decided to. Striking up conversation, Jolene and the living woman each see a common bond with the other.
Series: Alter Idem [61]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1618813





	Stories of the Second Self: Night Liner

It would've almost been nice to think of being tired after a long night at work, except Jolene didn't feel tired in the slightest. She was as invigorated an hour from sunrise as she had been when leaving for work just after dusk. However, she wanted to remember what feeling tired was like, so that she could have an excuse for her sense of exasperation from her job and that her car had broken down last week.

Much to her better fortune, however, Jolene discovered that Cincinnati's buses ran twenty-four, seven now. What's more, after civil order was restored, the city poured a startling amount of its diminished budget to restoring its abandoned subway lines and expanding them.

It meant Jolene could get to the parks and other locations where blood dealers worked and then get home before sunup. She kept her daylight covering and face shield on her anyway, but rather liked not having to wear it when being out.

As Jolene stepped on, she avoided taking a seat with half of them being empty. Months of unrest were followed by two years of societal breakdown, and had since settled into an uneasy truce between humans and the supernatural Pentacastes, as only dysfunctional democracy could've produced prior to Alter Idem.

In the subway car, Jolene spotted a few werewolves who dressed like they were from Norwood, a short angel woman in a suit that made Jolene think of a law firm, and then there was the other woman sitting by herself next to the exit, but not really alone.

The woman's dark clothing, dyed-black hair, leather pants, and boots with five studded straps made her stand out, but it was the huge raven on her knee that really made her unique. With a small blue handbag and a fluorescent green reusable shopping bag, the girl's goth look didn't seem meant to make a statement beyond it being her preference.

The guy looking at his phone two seats from her appeared oblivious to the large raven and dark-clad girl with downcast expression, but the way he sat suggested he was keenly aware of her and wasn't inclined to be closer.

It'd make him uncomfortable, but Jolene decided to do it anyway, and stood before the goth woman. "Excuse me, is that seat taken?"

The woman looked up at Jolene dispassionately, and with a pause that seemed as if she wasn't sure she was being addressed, before she answered, "No."

Jolene sat down, and the guy visibly shifted with a glance Jolene recognized in its brevity that revealed his wariness. It was a semi-reasonable concern, given that Jolene had been clinically dead for over three years.

Pale skin alone wouldn't have given people cause for alarm, as that was a common makeup theme, and not just for goths. However, Jolene's solid black eyes were enough to deter otherwise bold people from giving her eye contact.

Which is part of why Jolene avoided showing her teeth as best she could. Lips not parted, she smiled at the goth girl when she looked at Jolene. The raven's apparent interest in Jolene seemed more clinical, as if the bird wasn't sure what to make of her, while it studiously cocked its head at her.

"Interesting pet," Jolene remarked of the raven. "Is it friendly?"

"To me," the girl said with a weak shrug. "Don't know about other people."

Jolene decided to test that, and extended her hand to the raven, who noticed the decreasing proximity instantly, but didn't grow alarmed by it. Instead, the bird again, cocked its head to get two perspectives on Jolene's reaching for it.

Seeing that the bird didn't do anything, Jolene then put her hand closer to stroke feathers under its bill. "Seems friendly. Does it have a name?"

"I call him Frazier," the girl said, "Found him with an injury the first week I moved to Norwood."

At that Jolene cast her eyes toward the girl's neck. In any decently corny vampire movie that's when Jolene was expected to suffer temptation to feed on the girl right then and there, but really Jolene was checking for scalp hair on her neck, signifying her to be a werewolf, as so many lived in Norwood.

But no, the girl was human... or, at least, a Fae passing herself off as human with an illusion. Jolene couldn't know. The goth woman visibly brightened up at the fact someone on the subway was being sociable to her, and said as much, "I suppose you're not seen as approachable either, then."

"Yeah, not so much since this," Jolene admitted waving her hand before her face. "I don't mind it though."

"Just so you know, I'm not going to ask you to turn me or anything," the girl said.

"I appreciate that," Jolene replied, "Not that I know how anyway. There have been a couple who wanted me to, but I had to disappoint them."

"How did you turn?" the girl asked, still having not said her name.

Jolene just shook her head, while shifting to stroking the raven's neck and shoulders. "Just happened."

"Do you miss being human?" the goth woman asked.

That was the first time Jolene got that question. More often, people would ask her what it's like being a vampire. "There are times, but not often. Mostly when I bring my son to school. He's still human. He has to come home by himself a lot, or I gotta cover up and get him."

Jolene indicated the large bag she carried that had her face shield and tight-weave covering. Frazier surprised Jolene by hopping from the woman's left knee to her right to be closer.

"He likes you," the girl said, and then introduced herself. "I'm Sara."

"Jolene," she replied in kind, and added, "It's good to meet you."

Jolene stopped short of asking where Sara was heading, because from a vampire that wasn't seen as a friendly question. Sara might be okay with it, but others on the bus wouldn't have, and Jolene could easily imagine one or more of them slipping a 911 call in the belief that Sara would've been in danger from the undue curiosity.

When the subway car's overhead came on and panel crawl switched, Jolene took notice. "This is my stop. See you around, Sara."

"Bye," Sara replied, and raised her hand to wave with more cheer than she showed in the entire ride.

Predawn light greeted Jolene, as she stepped onto the subway stop. While others exited the car, Jolene opened her bag to get the face shield out and throw on the robe. There would still be a few blood dealers selling after sunrise, so the end of Jolene's day wouldn't be in hunger.


End file.
